Healthy Breakfast: Leftover Pizza vs. Doughnut

Sometimes putting together the ideal healthy breakfast in a hurry isn't always possible. There are times you're stuck between heating up the leftover pizza or grabbing a doughnut on the way to work. Of these two options, deciding which makes the healthier option involves weighing a few advantages and disadvantages of each.

Pizza vs. Doughnuts

When deciding which of these two foods makes for a healthy breakfast (at least in comparison to the other), much depends on the serving size and the type of doughnut or pizza you're going to eat. The most unhealthy type of typical doughnut averages about 360 to 500 calories each. The most unhealthy slice of pizza could be about 2300 calories, more than your daily value entirely. If you have one doughnut, you may be getting fewer calories than you would in a slice of pizza, but if you're comparing one slice of pizza to several doughnuts, the doughnuts could end up totaling more calories.

The Worst in Pizzas

Pizza is typically loaded with a number of unhealthy ingredients--or at least ingredients that can be unhealthy in large doses. Cheese may be a good source of calcium, but it's also high in calories and saturated fats. Crusts can have a lot of carbohydrates and may be made from bleached flour, which is less nutritious than whole wheat flour. Adding fatty toppings like meat (particularly sausage and pepperoni), makes the pizza worse.

The Worst in Doughnuts

You should avoid any doughnuts with the word "glazed" or "powdered" in the description, as these sugary toppings can add a huge amount of calories to an already less-than idea breakfast treat. Pass on icing, fillings and additional sugary toppings like chocolate chips and sprinkles if you want to have a somewhat healthy breakfast.

The Best in Pizzas

If that leftover pizza is among the healthiest kind of pizza, it might not be a bad choice for your fairly healthy breakfast. Healthier pizzas have thin crust made from whole grains. Ask for a light amount of sauce as well. Skipping the cheese altogether or at least asking for about half the amount can deduct hundreds of calories and several grams of saturated fat. As for toppings, vegetables make the best choice, followed by fruit, such as pineapple. Following this formula, you could wind up with pizza at around 200 calories a slice.

The Best in Doughnuts

If you choose a doughnut, look for a plain doughnut without extra toppings or fillings. Some doughnuts are made from whole grains, which can actually make the doughnut a nice fiber-rich option for your breakfast on occasion. If you can't find a whole grain doughnut, opt for a French cruller without a glaze, as this lightweight dough will only set you back only about 150 calories. If you want a topping, choose coconut shavings. Still, the healthiest doughnuts average around 110 to 150 calories each, so don't plan on having doughnuts each morning.

While neither is the ideal healthy breakfast, particularly on its own, both leftover pizza and doughnuts can make an occasional treat for when you're too busy to worry about putting together a large breakfast. Plus, if you look for healthier options, both choices can be a little healthier than you'd typically think.